George H.W. Bush, Barbara Bush hospitalized

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George H.W. Bush was hospitalized January 14; his wife was admitted four days later

(CNN)Former President George H. W. Bush has been extubated and is now breathing on his own "with minimal supplemental oxygen," Bush family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement Friday. Former first lady Barbara Bush also continues to improve, he added.

The 92-year-old former President was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital on January 14 to address a respiratory issue stemming from pneumonia. His wife was admitted to the same hospital on Wednesday for treatment of bronchitis.

"President Bush will remain in the ICU (intensive care unit) for observation," McGrath said. "Mrs. Bush, meanwhile, continues to feel better and is focusing on spending time with her husband.

"She is expected to remain in the hospital over the weekend as a precaution," he said.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

George Herbert Walker Bush poses for his official photograph as President of the United States. Bush has served in many roles in government, the highest being 41st president.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush is pictured with his sister, Mercy, in 1929. He was born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush sits in his VT-51 Avenger in 1945. Two years earlier, the future president became the youngest pilot in the Navy at the time, after earning his commission and wings.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

After serving as a US Navy pilot in World War II, Bush attended Yale University and played baseball from 1945 to 1948.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Before he entered politics in 1964, Bush made a fortune drilling for oil in Texas. He created the Zapata Offshore Co., which introduced a new era in the drilling industry.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush is pictured with his wife, Barbara, during his first campaign for Congress. He represented Texas' 7th District from 1967 to 1971, and he was appointed to the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush represents the United States at the United Nations in 1971. He served as US Ambassador from that year until 1973.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush sits with members of his family in 1971.

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Under President Gerald Ford, Bush served as the chief liaison to China in 1975. Here, Bush greets well-wishers in Beijing.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Ford meets with Bush in December 1975 in the Oval Office to talk to about Bush taking over as director of the CIA.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush and his wife stand before the press in 1980 with Republican presidential nominee Ronald Reagan. Bush would be formally nominated later that year as the vice presidential candidate.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush and then-House Speaker Tip O'Neill listen to Reagan deliver his second State of the Union Address in 1983.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Reagan shakes hands with Bush in 1988 as first lady Nancy Reagan looks on. Bush served as Reagan's vice president from 1981 to 1989.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

George and Barbara Bush pose for a family photo in 1986 in Kennebunkport, Maine. From left to right (not including children); Neil and Sharon Bush, George W. and Laura Bush, Barbara and George Bush, Margaret and Marvin Bush, Bobby Koch and Dorothy Bush Koch, and Jeb and Columba Bush.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush poses for a photo with real estate mogul and future President Donald Trump in 1988 during a Bush campaign event.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush and Indiana Sen. Dan Quayle accept the Republican Party's nominations for president and vice president in August 1988. During his speech, Bush uttered the memorable line, "Read my lips: No new taxes."

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis faces off against Bush during their first presidential debate in 1988.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush joins supporters in Houston in November 1988 after learning he had defeated Dukakis in the presidential election.

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Bush casts a line while surf fishing in Gulf Stream, Florida, in November 1988 shortly after winning the election.

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Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev takes in the New York skyline in 1988 with Reagan and Bush.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush was sworn into office as the 41st President of the United States on January 20, 1989. First lady Barbara Bush holds the Bible for her husband while Chief Justice William Rehnquist administers the oath of office.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

President George H.W. Bush delivers his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on January 31, 1990.

Bush hosted Nelson Mandela, South Africa's anti-apartheid leader and future President, at the White House in June 1990.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush holds a White House news conference in August 1990 during the run-up to war with Iraq.

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Bush visits American troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day in 1990.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell and Bush speak on separate phones in February 1991 while Joint Chiefs John Sununu, Robert Gates and Brent Scowcroft listen in to a conversation about halting the ground war in Saudi Arabia.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush meets with his US Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas in 1991 at Bush's vacation home in Kennebunkport, Maine.

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Bush plays golf in July 1991 with tennis player Andre Agassi.

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Bush and Gorbachev confer during their joint news conference in July 1991 in Moscow. The event concluded the two-day US-Soviet Summit dedicated to disarmament.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Presidents Bush, Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon stand together in Simi Valley, California, in 1991 at the dedication of the Ronald Reagan Library. It was the first time five presidents gathered in one place.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush and Quayle join hands at the August 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston. They are joined by their wives, Marilyn Quayle and first lady Barbara Bush.

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Bush checks his watch during the 1992 presidential debate with Ross Perot, right, and Bill Clinton. The memorable moment was interpreted as the President being out of touch.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Bush takes a last look around the Oval Office with his dog, Ranger, before vacating the White House for newly-elected President Bill Clinton.

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Bush speaks in November 1997 at the dedication of his presidential library at Texas A&M University.

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George H.W. Bush hugs his son, President George W. Bush, moments after the younger Bush was sworn in on January 20, 2001.

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Celebrating his 80th birthday in 2004, Bush performs one of two jumps he completed with the Army Golden Knights over the Bush Presidential Library.

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President George W. Bush appointed his father and former President Bill Clinton in September 2005 to lead fund-raising efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

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President George W. Bush meets in 2009 in the Oval Office with President-elect Barack Obama, along with former Presidents Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

President Barack Obama presents Bush with the 2010 Medal of Freedom in February 2011 at the White House.

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Barbara Bush kisses her husband as they arrive for the 2012 premiere of a documentary about his life.

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Bush's colorful socks are seen at the dedication in 2013 of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

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Bush floats to the ground in June 2014 during a tandem parachute jump near his home in Kennebunkport, Maine. Bush was strapped to Mike Elliott, a retired member of the Army's Golden Knights parachute team, as he made the jump to celebrate his 90th birthday.

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Bush holds up his wife's hand at the Republican presidential primary candidate debate in February 2016. Their son, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, ran an unsuccessful bid for the nomination.

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Bush throws out the first pitch to Collin McHugh of the Houston Astros before a game in April 2016 in Houston.

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Former US President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush participate in the coin toss before Super Bowl LI between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons on February 5, 2017.

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Former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush attend an awards ceremony hosted by Congregation Beth Israel on Wednesday, March 8, 2017, in Houston. The former president was presented with the annual Mensch Award by the Mensch International Foundation.

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Photos:41: President George H.W. Bush

Former President George H.W. Bush posted this photo to Twitter on Thursday, April 20. Bush was admitted to a Houston hospital for pneumonia earlier in the week. "Big morale boost from a high level delegation. No father has ever been more blessed, or prouder," he wrote about the photo, which shows his son, former President George W. Bush, by his side.

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Their son Neil Bush and daughter-in-law Maria were visiting the couple Friday, McGrath said. Earlier in the week, he said no other family members were flying in because they felt everything was stable and moving in the right direction.

Former President George W. Bush attended Trump's inauguration in Washington.

Earlier this week, McGrath reported that George H.W. Bush initially was responding well to drugs. But Wednesday, the 41st President's condition changed and he was admitted to the intensive care unit, sedated and intubated.

The former President was no longer sedated by Wednesday evening.

Already had planned not to attend inauguration

Bush, who served a single term as President from 1989 to 1993, was already not expected to attend Trump's inauguration Friday due to health concerns.

Bush sent a letter to Trump on January 10, apologizing for missing the ceremony and saying that he and Barbara "wish you the very best as you begin this incredible journey of leading our great country."

"My doctor says if I sit outside in January, it likely will put me six feet under. Same for Barbara," Bush wrote, in a letter first reported by ABC News. "So I guess we're stuck in Texas."

Trump responded on Twitter Wednesday, wishing the Bushes a speedy recovery and thanking them for their note.

"Looking forward to a speedy recovery for George and Barbara Bush, both hospitalized. Thank you for your wonderful letter!" he tweeted.

Looking forward to a speedy recovery for George and Barbara Bush, both hospitalized. Thank you for your wonderful letter!

Previous health concerns

Bush revealed several years ago that he suffered from a form of Parkinson's disease that left him unable to walk. He uses a wheelchair or a scooter to get around and had two other health scares in 2014 and 2015.

In December 2014, he was hospitalized after experiencing shortness of breath, and the following July fell at his home in Kennebunkport, Maine, breaking a vertebrae in his neck.

The injury did not result in any neurological problems, his spokesman said at the time.